//------------------------------// // Chapter 6 - Fall's Gift // Story: Pint's Birthday Party - Part 1 // by Yosh-E-O //------------------------------// Bucky brought down a pillow and blanket for both he and Fall to lie on the floor. “Ready?” he asked while opening up what looked to be a briefcase. But it was actually a giant collection of misaligned markers, paints, and crayons. “What is all that?” asked Fall as she took in everything that was now in front of her as she lied herself down over the soft pillow and the blanket that took away from feeling the hardwood floor of Bucky’s room. “They’re art supplies,” replied Bucky in a way that seemed as if he thought Fall was kidding with him in not knowing what everything was inside his art case. “Oh…,” pondered Fall. “What do you do with them?” “Well,” said Bucky as he brought over a pile of white paper and colored construction paper. “You draw with them.” “Draw?” asked Fall. “What’s that?” Bucky took a piece of the yellow, construction paper, drew a smiley face with a green marker, and showed it to Fall. “That’s a drawing,” he said. “It’s when you use crayons, markers, pencils, pens, and other fun stuff to make pictures.” “Ooh,” awed Fall. “Can I give it a try?” Bucky rested himself on the pillow and blanket that faced across from Fall. “Sure,” he said while sliding a piece of white paper in front of Fall. Fall looked at the blank paper and then towards the art supplies as she asked, “What should I ‘draw’?” “Hmm,” thought Bucky. “Maybe you could draw a picture of the three of us with the words ‘Happy Birthday’ written at the top?” Fall thought for a moment. “I could…, try,” she said. Bucky tapped upon the piece of paper in front of Fall and smiled. “Go for it!” he encouraged. “I know it will make him very happy to get such a special present from you on his birthday.” Fall’s eyes widened as she squeaked, “You really think so?” Bucky nodded, “I know so.” Fall eagerly reached into the art briefcase and pulled out a brown crayon. “So,” she asked while beginning her work. “Giving a picture is a good, uh, birthday present?” “Of course!” proclaimed Bucky. “My uncle and mom love it when I draw them pictures.” Fall felt a smile form across her face as she continued to draw. “They, ‘love’ your drawings?” she asked. “Yeah,” replied Bucky as he tapped his hoof. “They also love when I come home from school with a good grade on my homework, or a test.” Fall swapped the brown crayon for a deeper-brown colored crayon. “What is it like?” she asked. “What is what like?” asked Bucky. “To be told what you do is loved?” she asked. Bucky put his hoof to his muzzle as he thought on the question. “Uh…,” he said. “It feels…, good.” Fall’s smile grew as she swapped the deep-brown colored crayon for a green one. “Is that how Pint’s family feels about him?” she asked. “Do they, uh, ‘love’ what he does?” “Pint’s a goody-four-hooves,” joked Bucky. “His parents are always saying how much they love him and what he’s doing.” Fall looked up for a moment and thought on what she had just heard. She then reached in and grabbed a yellow crayon. “Does your uncle and mother love you?” she asked. “How couldn’t they?” Bucky more stated than asked. “I’m awesome!” “And…,” she asked. “Do you, ‘love’ them?” “My mom’s the best!” proclaimed Bucky. “And my uncle believes I’ll be a star hoofballer one day.” Fall thought some more as she went for an amber colored crayon. “Someday?” she asked. “Yeah,” stated Bucky. “My uncle takes me out to the field sometimes and we practice bucking, throwing, running, and catching the ball.” Fall’s tongue slid out as she felt herself really getting into the work she was doing as she learned more about Bucky and his family. She felt a sensation rush over herself. It was more than happiness and definitely more than hope. It was something that made her feel as if all the pain in her life had disappeared and nothing else mattered except what was going on in Bucky’s room at that very moment. “You look like River Runner,” teased Bucky. “He sticks his tongue out like that when he’s really into his work.” “River Runner?” she asked as her mind searched for where she had heard that name before. “Oh! He’s the one who wanted me to read his Backyard Brawlers cards, right?” “That’s him!” Bucky announced. “Always trying to find other ponies to do his work for him.” “Remind you of any pony?” asked Bucky’s mom as she walked by her son’s room. “Mom!” protested Bucky. “I’m not that bad.” Bucky’s mom smiled and laughed. “My son isn’t bothering you, is he?” she asked. “Oh, no,” said Fall as she spotted a silver bracelet upon her right, front hoof. “He’s helping me make a birthday present.” “Oh, Bucky,” his mom said. “That’s so sweet of you.” Bucky blushed. “We’ll be waiting for you two downstairs,” she said. “Love you.” Bucky’s blush got deeper as he waved and replied, “I love you, too, mom.” Fall reached in and grabbed a red crayon. “That’s…, so nice,” she said. “I wish someone loved me.” “I do,” said Bucky. “Ever since we became friends things have really been a lot more fun. It’s like you’ve always been with Pint and I.” “Really?” gasped Fall. “You really, uh, ‘love’ me?” “As I’ve told Pint,” stated Bucky. “You’re like the sister I never had.” “Sister?” wondered Fall. “You ‘love’ me like a ‘sister’?” “Well…,” Bucky said. “There’s lots of ways to uh, love. And, well, my mom tells my uncle she loves him and, uh, he’s her brother. So, if you can love a brother, why not a sister?” “Brothers and sisters love each other?” asked Fall. “Well…,” said Bucky. “I see a lot of brothers and sisters get into fights, but they always end up saying, ‘I love you’ to each other after they’re done arguing. So, I suppose that is how it works for brothers and sisters.” “Oh..,” thought Fall. “Have we argued before?” “Nope!” proclaimed Bucky. “And that is why I always wish that, if I had a sister, she’d be just like you.” “So you’d love me if I were your sister?” asked Fall as her eye’s made contact with Bucky’s. Bucky rubbed his hooves together as he tried to think of what to say. This was definitely something Pint could answer far better than he could. “You know,” he said. “How about we just think about getting over to Pint’s birthday party?” Fall put back the red crayon and smiled. “Sounds good,” she said. “I finished my, ‘birthday present’, too.” “Let me see…,” Bucky started to say until he noticed how well-drawn the image was. It was of himself, Pint, and Bucky playing in a field of flowers with a big heart above them that had the words, ‘Happy Birthday Pint’ written above it. “Wow!” he awed. “That’s amazing!” “Really?” asked Fall. “Oh, definitely!” he assured. “I’ve never seen any pony in my class draw that well.” “Well…,” said Fall as she took in the first compliment she ever got for her artwork. “Thank you.” “Just wait until Pint sees this!” exclaimed Bucky as he stood himself up. “You’re going to make his day!” “I am?” squeaked Fall. Bucky nodded, “Most definitely.” Fall couldn’t help but clap her front hooves together while letting out a giggle of excitement. “He may even like your gift more than mine,” stated Bucky as he picked up the green box. “You, uh, think so?” asked Fall. “Well,” he said while heading towards the door. “There’s only one way to find out.” Fall had a spring in her step as she followed after Bucky to meet with his uncle and mother to head over to Pint’s for the birthday party.